


a vanilla latte with kisses from tobio

by kuroosexual



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, If You Squint - Freeform, KageHina - Freeform, Light Angst, M/M, Strangers to Lovers, coffee shop AU, kageyama is the cashier that scares people, suga and daichi are the owners
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-27
Updated: 2017-09-06
Packaged: 2018-11-15 22:53:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11240967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuroosexual/pseuds/kuroosexual
Summary: coffee shop au in which kageyama is a cashier and meets hinata shouyou, who always orders the exact same thing (a vanilla latte) and tobio finds him extremely annoying.did he say annoying? he meant "incredibly endearing and gorgeous and oh shit I'm in love."It's been almost two weeks since he first started coming, and Tobio found that perhaps he enjoyed his company. The former setter decided that he liked Hinata's cheerful and energetic attitude, something that completely countered Kageyama's sullen and serious manner. He would never say this to Hinata in person, but he kinda found him cute. Although, if asked, he would say that he looked obnoxious with his orange hair and peppy nature.





	1. the first order

**Author's Note:**

> kagehina is my trash
> 
> note: the beginning gets off kinda rocky, and my writing isn't the best in the first chapter. Don't worry, it'll get better as the story goes on.

It's been a while since Hinata's been back in Miyagi. He moved away halfway through high school but decided to move back once he found out he was accepted into a college here.

It hadn't changed very much, to his delight. Granted, some stores he used to love were closed, and new ones were opened - but he could still feel the spirit in the air, the aroma of flowers and the fresh breeze that seemed to be fervently welcoming him back. 

He decides to stop by a quaint-looking coffee shop on the way to work - after all, he still had more than enough time to stop for a latte. The place was small but had a cozy aura around it, the decorations based loosely on a rustic style. Bells dinged behind him as he walked in, and he quickly walked up to the register.

“Hello, welcome to Karasuno Coffee. I'm Kageyama, what can I get for you?” the cashier asked, taking out a black pen from behind his ear. The sun glares at them, the natural light illuminating the dim walls of the cafe.

He voice sounded bored and monotone, almost as if he was reading from a script. He had awfully inky hair, a dark abyss that seemed to absorb all incoming light; a fringe ran down the front, was neat and impeccably combed.  _I'm so jealous,_ Hinata thought. _I can never get my hair to stay flat like that._

It was true - no matter how much gel he put on it or how many times he washed it and held his hair down in an attempt to shape it while it was wet, his bright orange hair stayed in its unruly manner. Shouyou had stopped trying to fix it years ago.

"I'd like a vanilla latte, please!" Hinata enthused, showing off his trademark smile. 

"Basic," the black-haired boy said, entering in his order on the large screen in front of him. "Name?"

"Hinata. And hey! It's not basic, it's just popular," Shouyou responds, crossing his arms. The man in front of him seems unfazed, his face unreadable. The way he stares at Hinata was slightly inimical in a way - but Shouyou decided to ignore it. 

"That'll be $2.57, please," The cashier said, his lips pursed. What was his name again? Kageyama, right? He towers over Shouyou, and although he's used to being shorter than most, Kageyama just has an inexplicably intimidating aura to him.

Shouyou reached into the pocket of his shirt and grabbed a handful of bills and coins, counting them out slowly while the cashier watched him impatiently.  _He's kind of attractive,_ Shouyou thought.  _Although, he doesn't seem like the nicest guy._ “Here."

"Finally. Just go wait over there, the barista will call your name. Next!"

Hinata sat down at one of the open tables, his gaze fixated on something out the glass window. The weather outside was sunny and clear, something that Hinata enjoyed. The coffee shop was small and quaint but booming with people from around the town. The menu, hung up on the wall, was written on chalkboards, and the interior walls of the shop were adorned with an abundance of beautiful flowers and vines, starting from the corners of the room and making its way up to the ceiling. Hinata decided that yes, he liked it here, even though he preferred more vibrant colors.

"Hinata?" Someone from the front called. "A vanilla latte?"

Shouyou dashed to the front (while bumping into a few people, to his embarrassment), receiving his white mug containing his latte. He looked up, taking in the muscular physique of the small bartender.  _He's... shorter than me. Why does he look so familiar?_

 _"_...Shouyou?" The barista asked, straining his eyes. "Is that you?" The pair of friends started jumping with glee, squealing like high school girls talking about their secret crushes.

"Oi," Kageyama walked over, giving a sharp glare to both Hinata and Nishinoya. "Stop messing around. Cool, you're reunited with your long lost friend from middle school or high school or whatever, now do your job properly before Daichi comes back and fires you."

"Daichi loves me! I won't get fired. Anyways, Shouyou, this is Kageyama! He seems really mean on the outside, but he's actually nice and fluffy on the inside! Really!" Yuu said, earning a slap on the back of the head by Kageyama. "See? He's in denial."

"Say that one more time and I'll throw you into the air so hard, you'll never come back onto the ground."

 

 

 

 

 

Kageyama ran a hand through his hair, waiting for a certain orange-haired idiot to walk in through the door and order yet another vanilla latte. The rain pelts down harder than usual, small droplets of water splattering against the cafe window.

It's been almost two weeks since he first started coming, and Tobio found that perhaps he enjoyed his company. The former setter decided that he liked Hinata's cheerful and energetic attitude, something that completely countered Kageyama's sullen and serious manner. He would never say this to Hinata in person, but he kinda found him cute. Although, if asked, he would say that he looked obnoxious with his orange hair and peppy nature. 

He thinks that he's probably being hypnotized by Hinata or something, but even though they've only met for a couple of weeks, Kageyama can't help but feel a sense of attraction towards the ball of sunshine. 

 _Ah, there he is._ Hinata always comes exactly at opening time - 7 o'clock in the morning - and today was no exception. "Just go sit down, Hinata. I know what you're going to order anyway."

"Woah, you remember my name," Hinata said, leaning against the counter so that he was about a foot away from Tobio. "I'm flattered."

"It's pretty easy to remember a customer's name when they come every single day and order the exact same boring thing." Hinata was particularly close to him, and in regular circumstances, he would've probably just slapped him in the face and told him to fuck off, but Tobio found himself intrigued and oddly attracted to him. It was nice, having someone be this close to you. 

The view of his lips was clear in this light, and especially with Kageyama being so close to him, he could feel his expression soften, his gaze fixated on the pinkness of Hinata's mouth.

_What the heck am I thinking? I don't even know this guy except for his name and that he likes vanilla lattes._

"Have you ever even tried it?" Hinata questioned, his hand holding the black mug with wings sticking out of it.  _It's for the spirit,_ Daichi explained.  _After all, our mascot_ is _crows. This'll just make us seem more professional._

"Of course I have. It's okay, but it's not my cup of tea," he responded curtly, clicking his tongue. He was wearing his usual work outfit - a green, professional apron with the words "Karasuno Coffee" written across the middle in white calligraphy. Kageyama didn't really like it, as the bright color contrasted against his black attire. 

"Noya! Look at this idiot, he thinks a latte is tea!" Shouyou yelled across the shop, earning a few customer's glares. "That's why he doesn't like it! He probably made vanilla tea or something along the lines of it!"

"Woah! Kageyama, you've really never had a vanilla latte? You made vanilla tea instead?" Nishinoya said enthusiastically, a hand still holding a bag of coffee beans. Tobio wasn't sure whether to just ignore the two midgets or smack them both on their head. He chose the latter, earning a yelp from both of them.

"It's a figure of speech, dumbasses," Tobio retorted, leaning against the marble counter. 

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Nishinoya waved him off, turning back to Hinata. "Anyways, you're coming to Asahi's birthday party next Saturday, right? Technically, Asahi doesn't know about it - me and Suga set everything up, but most of his friends said they were coming already. Kageyama, you should come too."

"Of course! I wouldn't miss out on Asahi's birthday party for the world," Hinata responded, his face pulled into a genuine, excited smile. 

"Nah, I'm not going. Hanging out with you two for hours? I think I'll pass."

"Kageyama," Nishinoya whined, dragging out his name. "But you're Asahi's friend, too! Technically. I know you just met a few months ago, but come on! If you don't go, I'll dump a black coffee on your perfectly combed hair every single day. And I'll stop making you coffees every morning."

"Ugh, fine. But only because I don't want to clean up my hair every morning. That's just annoying." Contrary to popular belief, Kageyama spends a lot of time styling his hair to get it to stay so flat and immaculate. He spends almost an hour in the shower, lathering on shampoo and conditioner as warm water cascades down his face, and getting shampoo into his eyes accidentally is not a rare occurance. Although he's not particularly fond of wasting away precious hours on such a small part of his appearance, he takes great pride in his hair and don't intend on leaving it like a bird's nest (like Hinata's.)

"Anyways, I'm gonna leave. Oikawa's not gonna be happy with me if I'm late to the office for the third time in a row," Hinata chuckled. Kageyama has to admit - he genuinely likes Hinata's laughs. It's light and carefree, slightly high-pitched but endearing.

"Work?" Tobio asked confused, tilting his head to one side. "I thought you said you went to college."

"Of course I go to work, Bakageyama! I have to pay for my tuition somehow, right? My classes are usually in the afternoon, so it works out." Hinata responded, smiling. "Anyways, gotta go. Here's the mug. See ya tomorrow!" He skipped out the door, the bell ringing melodically behind him as he left. 

Kageyama sighed, picking up the mug and placing it carefully into the dishwasher - after all, the cup wasn't plastic, and the last thing he wanted to do was to pick up broken china pieces. He walked over to the trash can to throw away Hinata's napkin, crumpled and folded from use, before he noticed a string of sloppy numbers written in black sharpie.

_Kageyama-_

_Call me later, you vanilla latte hater. :P_

_xxx-xxx-xxxx_

_~Hinata_

 

 

Tobio could be found that night laying on his bed lazily, his royal blue blankets under him. His room was plain, really, with its simple white walls and pastel blue curtains. Books were stacked up against his bed, neat and orderly, with a volleyball from his high school days sitting in the corner of his room, gathering up dust. It wasn't that he didn't like volleyball anymore, it was mostly because he didn't have any time, with his job and taxes and whatnot.

He's literally been laying there for an entire hour debating on whether to call Hinata or not. It's an obvious yes, he definitely wants to, but there's something stopping him; maybe it's the possibility of embarrassment? Just being shy in general with absolutely no social skills?

Well, if Tobio ever wrote a self-biography, that would be the title of it.

What would they even talk about anyway? Hinata knows next to nothing about Kageyama, and vice versa. Their relationship is literally based off the fact that Shouyou likes the cafe's vanilla lattes. Was him giving Tobio his number a way of flirting? He couldn't lie, he did find Hinata to be incredibly endearing, but it's not like he _liked_ him.

Kageyama doesn't really have much experience with anything romance related, as he's never been in a relationship. He's gotten a few confession letters, sure, but none of the girls really appealed to him. IT's not that he hasn't dated anyone - he's accepted many of the confession letters, but he knew deep inside that they wouldn't work out. After a few failed relationships, he stopped receiving letters. Most people ignored him after that -and Kageyama hadn't understood why.

He reached out for his phone, giving into the desire and finally deciding to call.  _At least if I call him, I won't be lying awake at night thinking about the what-ifs._

"Hello?" Hinata's voice rang out, bright and cheery as always. He could literally feel the happiness radiating off him through the phone, and Tobio smiled at the thought.

 _Say something! What do you usually say as a greeting? Is hello too formal? Should I say yo?_ How _do you even function in society? Gosh, am I taking too long to respond? Wait! Let me think of something to say first. Don't hang up! Okay, I got this._

"Okay," Kageyama responded, mentally slapping himself in the face. 

"K-Kageyama?" Hinata said, his voice laced with giggles. "Oh my god, you actually called me! And what are you even saying okay to? I didn't ask you anything! Aww, is the grumpy Kageyama flustered? You probably don't call anyone ever, do you? Of course you wouldn't, with you being so angry all the time-"

"Uh..." Tobio muttered, not knowing how to respond. He ended the call out of instinct, immediately regretting it.  _Shit! I didn't mean to do that! Should I call him back? I could blame my phone provider!_

_From: xxx-xxx-xxxx_

_bakageyama! why'd you hang up on me? i'm sorry for insulting you, all right? T-T anyways, do you want to hang out sometime? maybe this Saturday?_

Kageyama smiled, setting Hinata's number to 'Dumbass #1.' Hey, at least Hinata wasn't mad at him, right? Maybe socializing wasn't so hard after all. Nah, scratch that. But, who knows? Maybe Hinata and Kageyama would actually become... friends?  _"Friends."_ The word tastes foreign on his tongue - he's been a loner since birth, really. Nonetheless, it wouldn't hurt to try!

_From: Dumbass #1_

_you don't have to if you don't want to! i was just suggesting it_

_To: Dumbass #1_

_Apology accepted. How about this Saturday at the nearby park?_

Kageyama's lips curve up ever so slightly at the thought of hanging out with Hinata. It's nothing special, really, he's hung out with many people before - but there's an overwhelming ebullience in his chest.

He goes to sleep that night, dreaming of bright brown eyes and tousled orange hair.

 

 

 

 

 


	2. a broken bottle of beer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> everyone's drunk. chaos ensues and spin the bottle is played.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so... yeah. a month without updating... welp, i'm back now. hopefully i update more than once a month, haha. no promises though.
> 
> *airhorns*  
> a month withOUT UPLOADING HE COMES BACK WITH A TAG  
> THAT NO ONE EVEN TAGGED HIM IN HE'S GOT A CHALLENGE TO DRAG  
> SO PREPARE FOR AN ATTACK  
> AND BY THAT I MEAN CRINGE  
> CAUSE THIS MOTHERFUCKER'S BOUT TO GET  
> DRAGGED BY HIS FRINGE
> 
> if you know what that's from  
> i will love you

"Do you want to hang out again?" Hinata asked, excitedly sipping on his latte. _Doesn't he ever get tired of that thing? He's been drinking it every day for weeks straight._ "It's been such a long time since we hung out and I'm so bored all of the time."

Kageyama snickered, although not out of malice. "We just hung out 3 days ago. And you literally just went to the amusement park with Nishinoya yesterday. I think that's enough outings for anyone. Plus, we talk every single day. How are you bored?"

"But that was yesterday! Today is today, and I want to hang out with you today!" Shouyou whined, his lips formed into a pout.

"What do you suggest we do then, o wise one?"

Hinata instantly smiles, spinning around on the navy barstool along the counter overlooking the coffee making process. "What about the movies?" He suggests; and although Kageyama may roll his eyes and scoff at anything Hinata suggests, they both know there's only a minuscule chance of Tobio actually refusing.

The dark haired boy rolls his eyes at his suggestion. "Watching the movies. How innovative, Hinata."

Hinata pouts, leaning over the counter. "So? It doesn't have to be new and fresh, it just has to be exciting and fun, right? What's wrong with going to the movies? Everyone does it! Plus, there's a new Jurassic Park movie out and I really want to watch it!"

Kageyama sighed, long fingers fiddling with the buttons on the cash register, his hands quick at organizing bills after almost a year of working here. "Hinata, I'm your cashier, and just because we see each other every day doesn't mean we're automatically best friends," he said, looking over at the small boy. "You see your boss and your professors every day, are you guys best buddies?" There was a biting hint of sarcasm in his voice - although, not even a tinge of malice could be noticed.

"No," Shouyou answered, admiring the white leaf drawn in his latte with cream. "Because Oikawa-san is always being a prick! And no, I don't see my professors every day! I have different classes all the time!"

"I'm flattered. You don't think I'm a prick?"

"No, I think you're stupid and takes everything too seriously," Hinata replied, smirking. "But don't worry, without those qualities, you wouldn't be the Kageyama I know and love."

Kageyama sighed, running a hand through his black, silky hair, cringing a bit at his statement. "I highly doubt that."

"You know I'm going to keep bothering you until you say yes, right?"

"Probably not. You've got work soon, don't you?"

"Actually, no. I'm off on Wednesdays." Hinata smirked in a mischievous fashion, jumping off the barstool swiftly. Kageyama watched in confusion as he watched the orange-haired boy run around the counter, seeming searching for something. What he was searching for, he didn't know, but at least he wasn't bothering him anymore, right?

"Well, I'm not." He rang up and greeted the next customer (although it sounded quite robotic and monotone by now), yelling at Nishinoya to make the order. Suddenly, a pair of sneakers jumped up onto his sides aggressively, digging into his skin as small hands went to rest on his shoulders, gripping them tightly. Kageyama yelped, struggling to get the little devil away from him.

Tobio swears that Hinata would be the death of him one day.

"Hinata, get OFF OF ME!" Kageyama said as soft as he could, as he was in a cafe, but ended up screaming nonetheless. "Your feet are jabbing into my side and it hurts!"

This only made him clutch on tighter, laughing and giggling as he waved to Noya, who was coming out of the kitchen area. The kitchen area wasn't really used for cooking, or anything it was supposed to be used for, as most of the mixing went on out here, and the kitchen was really just used for storing condiments and syrups and the such.

"Is the Great Kageyama ticklish?" Nishinoya sing-songed, his apron so long it might as well drag onto the ground. "This is a sight I don't see often. I should record this."

Kageyama was relieved that there were only a few people in the shop at this time, especially under current circumstances. He hoped Daichi didn't come to check up on him - he would either laugh and film it right along with Noya and probably post it on social media or something, or he would shake his head in disapproval and probably fire him. He preferred the latter.

Hinata decided to jump off of him - he wasn't surprised, as he didn't think it was very comfortable to perch atop an almost 6 feet tall tree that was shaking violently.

"Just for that, I'm not going with you," Kageyama responded angrily, scoffing and raising his chin. "I'm mad at you."

Hinata laughed, leaning into his arm and nuzzling his chin into his elbow. "We'll see about that."

 

They did end up going to the movies on the weekends, when both of them were off from work (and classes, for Hinata), and Hinata insisted that he pay for both their movie tickets since it was him that dragged Kageyama here, anyway. Kageyama obviously declined, but Shouyou wouldn't hear a word of it and immediately ran up to the ticket booth, a $20 bill clutched tightly in his hands.

Even though Hinata was a full grown, working adult, he always never behaved like one. He was always bubbly and cheery - and Kageyama would be lying if he said he didn't think that Hinata could illuminate the room just with his smiles. Obviously, science says otherwise, but Kageyama failed science in high school so he has an excuse, alright?

"I got them! Here," Shouyou said, handing a small white ticket to Kageyama aggressively. "Hurry up, the movie's starting in 3 minutes!"

"Why are we here so late then? Gosh, Shouyou, you're such a dumbass."

Hinata got sidetracked by the popcorn stands, demanding that Kageyama waits for him so he can buy an extra large popcorn. Tobio sighed, rolling his eyes while walking over to the cashier, pushing Hinata aside so he could pay for the popcorn, plus a large soda for himself. "You already paid for the movie tickets, so it's only right that I pay for the snacks," he said, absentmindedly ruffling Hinata's hair. It was soft, and it smelled like jasmine - it was just incredibly fluffy, and Kageyama ended up just resting his elbow on top of his head. Shouyou didn't object, almost seeming like he enjoyed the gentle touches.

As the movie began, Kageyama was more and more convinced that Hinata brought him along because he was scared of the dinosaurs. They sat in the second row from the back, and both of them were enthralled by the 3D effects brought upon the movie just by wearing the provided glasses. Well, actually, Hinata probably had mixed feelings about it - one second his mouth is screaming in awe at the animations (earning a lot of angry looks from people nearby) and another second he was still screaming, although not from excitement, but from fear - apparently deciding to bury his face in Kageyama's shouders, his small nose pressing against the chair, asking Kageyama if the scary parts were over yet.

Tobio had the sudden urge to yell at him, maybe call him a dumbass and to stop being so close to him, but his coincidence told him that they were in a movie theater and they were already getting enough annoyed looks from others _without_ him adding more yelling into the mix, so Kageyama decided against it.

 _It's because I'm a good, respectful citizen at a movie theater,_ Tobio reminded himself. _Nothing else._

It felt so intimate with Hinata being so close to him, his small, tiny figure leaning against his - it made Kageyama blush deeply, his cheeks heating up into a scarlet that he was glad no one else could see, since the lights were dimmed, glowing with a dark orange that did nothing but illuminate the wall around it. The screen was curved ever so slightly; _it was probably to give a more realistic experience,_ Tobio assumed.

"Kageyama, aren't you scared?" Hinata asked, his lower lip trembling slightly. "All the dinosaurs are so scary - ahh!" He screams, earning shushes from nearby movie-watchers as they roll their eyes, lips pursed in annoyance.

"Shut up, dumbass! Do you want to get us kicked out?" Kageyama whispered aggressively. "And of course I'm not scared, only people like you are."

"Don't worry," Hinata reassured, smiling and looking up at him. "If they were going to kick us out, they would've done it a long time ago."

"First of all, that does not help at all," he replied, although all signs of acrimony left his words, that is, if it was even there in the first place. "Dumbass," he added.

"Dumbass," Hinata responded.

"Literally copying what I just said is not a good insult," Kageyama said smugly, sliding away from the tight grasp of Shouyou's small hands. Hinata whined, lifting up the seat handle to make it easier to scoot closer to Tobio.

"Dumbass," Hinata muttered.

 

 

"Are you serious?" Hinata asked, resting his head on the palm of his left hand. "You've never gotten drunk at all? Like, ever?"

"I don't really feel the need to," Kageyama replied, sipping on a glass of water. He knows that he's at a party - Asahi's surprise birthday party, to be exact - and although there was an abundance of bottles on the counter, complete with wine, tequilia, beer, and literally any and every alcoholic beverage you could name, Tobio really didn't want any. He's gone 22 years of his life without it, so why start now?

The party was held at Suga and Daichi's house. Most of the guests who were supposed to arrive were already present, except for the star of the show, Asahi himself; Suga texted him to invite him over to a very long overdue movie night, with Asahi texting him about 5 minutes ago saying that there was a bee in his room and he was scared of bees, so maybe he would be running a bit late.

The bustle of people chatting and laughing could be heard throughout the house, and balloons of different colors were tied on the corners of each room. A banner was taped above the living room, reading "HAPPY BIRTHDAY ASAHI!" in gold lettering. Kageyama didn't really like the noise, especially when it was increased tenfold by a bundle of orange mop named Hinata. Hinata was wearing a loose pink sweater with the japanese translation of "meat" written across. It was unarguably large on the boy, and as he sat with his legs curled up against his chest and his head leaning lazily on the couch, he almost looks like a marshmellow. Cute, Kageyama thought absentmindedly.

"Well, you have to try it out! Today! We're making you try alcohol today!" Nishinoya yelled with enthusiasm, looking over to Hinata. "Right, Shouyou?"

"Right!"

Kageyama almost snickered. "Nah," he responded curtly, paying no attention to the two. "Plus, I-"

"Asahi's almost here! Everyone, hide!" Suga exclaimed, hie phone still in his hands. Everyone in the room ran to a hiding spot - with Hinata and Noya attempting to hide behind a house plant. Kageyama stood there for a few seconds, wondering why everyone was scrambling off. _Oh, right. We're supposed to be surprising Asahi. Okay._ Kageyama hid behind a dining chair, but with his tall stature, it didn't hide him very well. It didn't matter anyways, it's not like they were playing hide and seek or whatever.

There was knocking on the door, and Suga and Daichi immediately went for it, opening it with no hesitation. "Asahi!"

"Hey," he greeted with a sheepish smile. He was wearing a simple white t-shirt and green checkered pajama shorts. Not really the best outfit for a party, but he didn't know about it, obviously. "Sorry for being so late. There was a bee and it was scaring me so I hid under the table... But look! I brought popco-"

"SURPRISE!" Everyone shouted, standing up behind their hiding places. Noya blew a party popper.

"Oh! Um... you all didn't have to, really!" Asahi said, in awe of all of the intricate decorations.

"Nonsense!" Suga replied. "Now, let's go upstairs so me and Daichi can talk to you in private. Don't worry guys, he'll be back before dinner starts!"

They disappeared after that; although, there was lots of complaining from most of the guests in the room, especially Noya. Although, it didn't matter, really - it was Asahi's birthday and he should do what he wants. Meanwhile, Hinata and Noya were fiddling around with the bottles of alcohol arranged meticulously on the table, already beginning to decide what they should make Kageyama try for his first time consuming alcohol. Kageyama never agreed.

"Should we give him just plain old beer?" Nishinoya asked Hinata, gesturing towards a few beer bottles. You idiots are wasting your time. I never agreed to anything. Tobio rolls his eyes, scoffing as he informs that he would never drink beer, ever.

"Oh, is beer not sophisticated enough for the great Kageyama?" Shouyou teases, smiling. "Does he need the finest wine from Italy?"

"He probably just can't take it," Noya said, laughing. "What a shame."

These little brats... "Well, I may have never tried alcohol, but I bet I can certainly take more than you two midgets ever will," he challenged, his conscience regretting the decision immediately.

Hinata smiles, a shit-eating grin plastered on his face. "Oh, you're on."

Tobio, albeit never drinking a bottle before in his entire life, suddenly grabbed a beer bottle off the marble counter, immediately downing half of it in one gulp. Tanaka oohs from the background, while Hinata just smirks.

"Oh, now you are definitely on," Shouyou responds, and it turns into a full on challenge after that. Bottles are drank and thrown into the nearest trashcan (something Suga would definitely not be happy about) at record speed. Or at least, Hinata was drinking at record speed.

"Oi, Hinata boke!" Kageyama suddenly shouted after only downing his second beer bottle. His face was flushed red (the asian glow, they called it) and his heart was beating so fast he was afraid it would burst out of his chest. Tragic, isn't it? A casualty at a birthday party, caused by drinking only two bottles of Heineken beer. "Does this usually happen when you drink?" He slurred, causing a completely unfazed Shouyou to laugh at Kageyama's drunken state.

"Well, usually not so early in when I'm drinking," Hinata smirked, putting an arm around Tobio. "What is it, Kageyama? You're gonna pass out?"

"Hah?! No way!" Kageyama yelled in response, grabbing a third beer off the table. _Oh, I really hope Suga doesn't fire me for me and Hinata for accidentally drinking all his beer._ "I can keep going!"

While Kageyama and Hinata were immersed in their drinking game, Tanaka and Noya were on the sidelines, busy betting on who'd be the first one to pass out - although Hinata had a high alcohol tolerance, he was easily subjected to fainting spells, especially when alcohol was in his system. And, Kageyama... well, they couldn't blame him for having a low alcohol tolerance; after all, it was his first time.

They kept going like this for a few more minutes, and although no one did pass out (with much groaning from Tanaka and Nishinoya), Kageyama was tipsy. Although, that would definitely be sugar-coating it, because he was definitely full-on drunk. Accidentally blow off all of his money in Vegas drunk. Pass out and never wake up for the next 11 years drunk. Hell, he was drunk enough to do a one night stand at this point, and Kageyama Tobio never does one night stands.

Well, that's one more thing added to the "Stupid things Kageyama has done" list.

He feels dizzy and nauseous; his balance is off, and he doesn't know where to place his feet. He feels excited - although not giddy like most people say it would feel like. Tanaka dims the lights, and Tobio feels like the room is spinning. Scratch that, the room is definitely spinning. "What were you supposed to do in an earthquake again? Oh yeah, hold your breath and make sure you don't breathe in the fumes too much."

"Kageyama, that's what you do in a fire, silly," Hinata drawls, his green beer bottle still in hand. "And we're not in an earthquake!"

"Hey!" Tanaka yells, putting his arm around both of them. "Let's play Truth or Dare while we wait for Asahi to come back!"

"THAT'S A GOOD IDEA!" Noya yells, probably waking up the entire neighborhood. "I WANNA GO FIRST!"

Tobio giggles childishly, his mind filled with a haze and his usual annoyed attitude dispersed. He's happier, everyone around him seems happier - it's almost like he's in a better version of limbo, where he feels that he's invincible and no problems could ever attack him here.

 

It was a bad idea. Oh well, he's living the moment, right?

"Kageyama!" Tanaka screamed, having drunk a few bottles of beer himself. Daichi, Suga, and Asahi came down now, and after seeing the drunken states of their fellow kouhai, decided to stay away from them and stayed on the other side of the house. Two other men joined them; one with chocolate brown eyes and hair that was swept outwards, and another with black hair formed into a terrible, but surprisingly hot bedhead, with some strands of his hair covering his left eye. Oikawa and Kuroo, was that what Shouyou said? Everyone in the circle was incredibly drunk (although Nishinoya and Kuroo looked a bit more sober than the others, who looked like they were on the verge of falling over) - Tobio doubts that anyone would remember this when they woke up in the morning tomorrow. "Truth or Dare?"

"Dare, obviously," he dragged out, his entire body swaying. Thankfully, it wasn't midnight yet, and the sun, although dull, was faintly there, a small beam of light poking out from beyond the horizon. "Because I'm not as drunk as some of you are, not saying any names," he said, glaring over at Hinata.

"In the spirit of beer, let's play spin the bottle!"

Tobio whined, not really in the mood to kiss some random strangers who he had just met, but he didn't complain as much as he normally would've, the alcohol fueling his adrenaline. "Why did I agree to this?"

Everyone looked at him, their eyes filled with interest. Tanaka and Nishinoya had their cellphones out, although he doubted that they would be able to take a good picture, especially in the drunken state they're in.

Kageyama spun the green beer bottle lying on the ground - reluctantly, he must add - spinning faster and faster until it finally stopped in its place, pairs of eyes following the direction of the bottle. _I hope it's not... anyone. I hope the bottle lands on me so I get to skip the stupid kiss thing._

"It's..." Nishinoya drawled, his hand shakily holding his phone. "HINATA!" Tobio rolled his eyes, and decided that the universe must be against him. Of course it had to be the one idiot that he actually knew well enough for this to be awkward. Honestly, he would be better off kissing someone he didn't already know, as he would have no qualms about it later and it wouldn't be so awkward the next time they met.

Tanaka and Noya started chanting, "kiss, kiss, kiss!" causing many people from across the house to turn their heads in wonder, and even Sugawara and Daichi walked over to see what's happening.

"What's going on? Huh. Okay, who's kissing Hinata?" He asked, stooping down to look at the bottle. Apparently, he seemed to have at least a general understanding of the game. Kageyama wishes he hadn't.

"Tobio-chan is!" Oikawa responded, smirking. "Oh, my little kouhai, getting his first kiss..."

"Shut up!" Tobio yelled, as he slowly started to walk towards Hinata, who looked a bit surprised but mostly unfazed. How could he be so calm in times like this? Maybe he did this before?

Kageyama leaned closer, until he stopped suddenly when a million nerves started to tense up at once. "Actually, wait, can I pass-" he started to say, until he was suddenly stopped by Hinata's lips on his. Tobio gasped, slightly surprised by the contact.

Hinata's lips was soft, he must admit - and the softest shade of pink he had ever seen. Kageyama stopped freaking out to actually be indulged in the kiss, his brain reminding him that it was just a dare, anyway. The kiss was sloppy, not in the wet sense, more uncontrolled. Kageyama's brain went blank; he couldn't think of anything except the feeling of Hinata's body pressed against his, the feeling of his lips against his. It was completely devoid of passion, ending just as abruptly as it began, and Tobio didn't even want to think about how red he would be blushing right now.

Everyone had their phones out now, and Kageyama just wanted to become invisible and live in a hole for the rest of his life. Or, maybe move to Ireland.

"That was so cute, oh my god," Suga gushed, shaking Tobio's shoulders as his mind was completely unresponsive. _I just kissed him. Oh fuck, I just kissed him._

The worst part was that Kageyama genuinely liked it. He liked the feel of Hinata's lips, soft and smooth, small and so dainty. Tobio's never thought about his sexuality, he kinda just let whatever happen, happen - although, he sometimes doubted he would find someone at all, since who would like someone with the personality of his? Did kissing Hinata, actually enjoying it - mean that Kageyama was actually interested in guys?

 _Probably not,_ he thought. _Plus, I'm still drunk as hell. The alcohol is probably just leading me on._

Shouyou looked completely unfazed by the kiss, retreating back his original spot immediately, smiling excitedly. "It's my turn now!" He screamed, ecstatic.

Kageyama went home that day, passing out on his futon, dreaming about the softness of Hinata's lips as he slept, ignoring, or perhaps just deciding not to address the sudden realization that came to mind right before he crashed.

The morning after, and without realizing it, he's gone from thinking about his stupid job as a cashier and idiot Hinata who comes by everyday to just Hinata and the feel of their bodies pressing together. Hinata, and his stupid orange hair and his small, overly adorable build, who never fails to brighten up his day. He doesn't even feel the least grossed out by the kiss that happened last night, and although he wishes that he would forget it, he doesn't - and all that he can wish for is that Hinata was drunk enough to forget everything that happened last night.

He can't bring himself to be annoyed, to maybe be grossed out by the whole thing, even though Hinata is a dumbass, and ridiculous, and clumsy, and you know, male. He doesn't know what to feel about the kiss, although what he does know is that he gets butterflies in his stomach whenever he thinks about it, and his cheeks heat up and turn a color the same shade of red velvet cakes without frosting.

 _Oh shit,_ he thinks, clutching his pillow in a death grip. _Things are gonna be so awkward tomorrow at the cafe._

Maybe it's better if he didn't show up tomorrow. Because he wouldn't know how to act around him anymore, and if Hinata remembers the kiss, Kageyama thinks he'd literally die of embarrassment.

Because the last thing Kageyama expects is to like Hinata's lips against his.


	3. coffee stains

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woah! hey guys! i'm alive! look, i'm updating without waiting for an entire month to actually update xD

Kageyama stared at the glass door at the entrance with keen eyes, his stare sharp enough to kill. He wanted to see Shouyou the second he got through the door and stop him in his tracks, good customer service be damned. The other customers whom he was serving gave him a few weird looks, but probably assumed that he was just tired and didn't get enough sleep that night.

Which wouldn't be very far from the truth, anyways. It's not that he didn't want to sleep, per se, but he just saw the orange haired idiot's lips on his, soft and smooth, whenever he closed his eyes. Obviously, he didn't get much sleep.

A quick glance at the clock told him that it was five to seven, and he relaxed, albeit not much. Hinata always came at 7 o'clock sharp, no earlier, no later. Although, maybe he was just as eager as Kageyama to talk about the night before.

 _Or,_ Tobio's thought. _He doesn't remember anything and your life can go on like usual and you can stop worrying about everything, you idiot._

6:59. Hinata should be bursting through the door any minute now, with his obnoxious enthusiasm and excitement. It was routine by now, and the the idle chatter of the cafe, the vines filled with flowers, creeping up the walls; the golden rusted bell, hanging on the door; the blackboard menus, erased and rewritten everyday - and of course, Hinata, - they were all imprinted into his brain at this point, and sometimes, he longed for a chance, something less predictable, something more exciting. You know, a rocket scientist, for example.

Who was he kidding? He barely had the brain power to count bills, even when the chance was so very obviously shown on the register - how would he ever survive as a rocket scientist? Although, Tsukishima might, that smartass.

_"He's so goddamn annoying," Tsukishima muttered. He was the weekend barista at the cafe, and of course, Hinata was there, even on the weekends. Kageyama usually gets the weekends off, but he was filling in for Ennoshita, the weekend cashier. God, I really hope he doesn't develop an addiction to it or something. Is... that even possible?_

_God, Kageyama really hopes that Hinata doesn't develop an addiction to vanilla lattes or something. Is... that even possible?_

_"Well, you only see him for two days," he offered. "I see him for five. Shouldn't I be complaining more than you?"_

_"That's only because you don't have enough brain cells to comprehend his vexatious attitude," Tsukishima countered, adjusting his glasses. He and Kageyama both hated each other, and both of them knew; but they still talked to each other anyways, mostly just to aggravate the other. "Mostly because you're almost as bad as him."_

_"I hate you," Kageyama muttered, throwing a nickel at him. It was swiftly dodged._

_"Oh, is the great Kageyama fired up now?" Tsukishima said, his words laced with fake sweetness._

_"Fuck off."_

7:05. Kageyama was starting to get worried, and if Hinata was avoiding him, it  _definitely_  meant he remembered last night. Although, maybe he just missed the bus or something or got stuck in some traffic. Who knows, the idiot might just be distracted by a roadside plant or something. 

“Hello, welcome to Karasuno Coffee. I'm Kageyama, what can I get for you?” He asked, sounding bored with a forced smile on his face. 

"A vanilla latte, please," the girl behind the counter said, her hair flowing over her shoulders. 

"$2.57, please," Tobio responded automatically, taking the five dollar bill from the girl's hands and giving her the correct change.

"You really have everything memorized, huh?" The girl asked, obviously intrigued. "You didn't even look at the register."

"Um, yeah. I guess you could say that?" Kageyama muttered. What was he supposed to say? Oh yeah, I only remember the price for that because this idiot comes in and orders it everyday and I may have kissed him yesterday so now it's reminding me of last night? And I may have a crush on him?

Maybe it was better this way. They were both awkward people - okay scratch that, Hinata was the most boisterous and outgoing people he'd ever known - but romantically, they were both inexperienced. Or, at least, Kageyama assumed so. Hinata never talked about any relationships, and Hinata talks about  _everything_ , even if it's the squirrel he saw in his backyard. So, would it be better, for both of them, to not see each other again?

 _You're being too dramatic,_  his brain reminded him.  _You guys were drunk, that's it, and now you're making this like a soap opera? Admit it, you still want to see him._

 _Go away,_ Kageyama retorted. Although, he wasn't sure what or who he was replying  _to_. His conscience? 

Ten minutes later, Kageyama is forced to accept the fact that Hinata wasn't coming today, and whether that made him feel relieved or anxious, he didn't know. He did have to admit though - having Shouyou not being here was out of the ordinary, and maybe Tobio misses him just a bit. A little bit.

 _It's been one day,_ his brain offered again.  _Don't you think this is affecting you more than it should?_

 _I think you should fuck off,_ Kageyama thought _._

Noya came out of the kitchen, his apron tainted with coffee stains and his hands filled with cartons of milk and cocoa beans. "Hey," he said, looking around the room while putting the stuff down. "Where's your boyfriend?"

"First of all," Tobio said, rolling his eyes and elbowing Noya in the side. "He's not my boyfriend."

Nishinoya smirked, his face full with smugness. "Oh, really?" He took out his phone, with a clear case that said "memes are a way of life" plastered on it with big, bold block letters. "Would you like a little reminder?"

Kageyama glared at him, tilting up his chin. "Don't remind me," he said, sighing. "I couldn't even sleep last night because of it."

"Woah! Kageyama was flustered!" Noya exclaimed, pausing. "...Does that mean I shouldn't post the picture on Instagram?"

Tobio scowled, his face scrunching up. "I'd like to see you try."

 

 

Hinata didn't show up that day. Or the day after that, or the day after that, and although Kageyama thought that it might be better to have some space between them for a few days, he was getting seriously anxious and ever so slightly annoyed. Why did Tobio care so much, anyways? Hinata was just a customer, and Tobio was just a cashier. He shouldn't care so much about someone he barely knows. He doesn't know where he lives, where he works; hell, Tobio didn't even know what he was majoring in!

He leaned on the marble counter, sighing, looking out the window before he caught sight of a small puff of orange hair outside the window. Upon closer inspection, Tobio could conclude that it was, in fact, Hinata, and he felt anger boil up inside him once again. 

Kageyama didn't really know what to do. Shouyou didn't seem like a person who would walk to work - unless his house was right around the corner and his workplace was incredibly close? Should he run after him? Grab him by the collar and ask why he's been ignoring him?

Hinata  _has_  to remember what happened that night. Why would he be ignoring him if he didn't?

As much as he disliked awkward contact, Hinata was one of his friends now, wasn't he? Apart from Nishinoya who claims to be his friend, he didn't really have any - and he admits, having Hinata around every morning made the job easier.

Why didn't he notice Hinata walk by before? It wasn't like he wasn't staring aggressively out the window the other days. Maybe Hinata just had a break today, and decided to go for a walk.

 _Fucking go after him, you idiot!_ Tobio's brain informed himself.  _He's right there, just go after him already before you regret it._

He convinced himself that the only reason his feet weren't moving was that he was still at work, in front of customers and his coworkers, with the distinct possibility of one of his bosses coming in any second; yep, that's the reason.

 _If I see him again,_ _I'll go talk to him,_ Kageyama promises.

He doesn't see him again outside the coffee shop window for a entire week after that.

 

It's been a week and a half since he saw Hinata's face, and although he didn't want to, he's been convincing himself to ease back into normality. He's absentmindedly walking around the mall food court, looking around at possible restaurants he would be willing to eat at.

Although, even in the frenzy of people, he caught the sight of a mop of orange hair poking out from under the horde of people, and Kageyama, remembering his promise to himself, ran over angrily and picked him up by the collar.

"Hey," Hinata greeted sheepishly, seeming to not know what to say. Kageyama, on the other hand, was 50 shades of irate as he shook Hinata around, earning a squeal from him. "Where," Tobio started, obviously enraged. "Where the fuck were you?"

"Woah, woah, Kageyama, calm down," Hinata muttered, not making eye contact. His cheeks were incredibly red and they had attracted the attention of multiple customers by now, but at this moment, Kageyama couldn't care less. Okay, so Kageyama may or may not have realized that he's basically yelling at one of his customers about not coming to the shop more often, but they both knew that it was much more than that.

"Not until you tell me where you've been," Tobio responded, putting Hinata down gently. 

"Oh! Um... It's been really busy at the place I work at lately, so I've been going to work earlier than before. And finals are also coming up, so I spend almost all of the spare time I have at home," Hinata responded, seeming slightly unsure. 

_Of course there's a logical explanation. You're making this a bigger deal than it really is. Get over yourself._

"O-oh..." Kageyama muttered, not really knowing what to say. "W-wait! Um... do you remember what happened at Asahi's birthday party?"

Hinata tilted his head to one side, seeming almost confused. "Why? Don't you remember?"

"Uh..." Tobio drawled, having an internal meltdown. "No."

"Really?" Shouyou's eyes grew wide, obviously surprised but if Tobio noticed, he decided not to comment on it. "Well, in that case, you should go ask someone else. I always forget everything when I've had a large amount of alcohol, and I don't remember anything except for the fact that there was a party. Sorry to disappoint." Kageyama let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Hinata doesn't remember the kiss! Tobio thinks that he should be relived, elated even, but all he feels is a dull ache. He's slightly disappointed Hinata doesn't remember it, but he doesn't know why.

He shakes the thought off and attempts a smile, leading Hinata to jump back in fear, and Kageyama can't blame him.  _This is why I don't attempt smiles._

"Anyways, if you've stopped being scary and angry, do you want to walk around the mall or something?" Shouyou asks, smiling softly.  _I want to kiss him again._

Kageyama hasn't even eaten yet, but it doesn't matter. He can eat later. "Sure."

They walk around the mall, filled with sunlight seeping through the glass, and modern decorations hanging from the roof. They walk next to each other in silence, subconsciously getting closer and closer to each other. None of them say anything or initiate a conversation for a while, but it's a comfortable silence.

"This might be weird to ask now," Kageyama said, trying to break the tension. "But, what are you majoring in?"

"Hmm?" Hinata muttered, looking down at his shoes as they walked, both of them getting closer and closer together until Kageyama's hand touched Hinata's elbow, both of them jumping away, a blush on both of their faces. "Oh. Umm... I'm an education major. I want to be an elementary or middle school teacher someday... it seems fun and I'll be able to help the kids in our community."  _So cute,_ Kageyama thinks.  _The more I learn about him, the more I..._

"What about you?" Hinata asks. "Are you majoring in anything?"

"Me?" Tobio chuckles lightly, shaking his head. "No. I've always been terrible at anything academics-related." It was true - Kageyama still faintly remembers the times when he was still in school; although, it wasn't very positive. He usually failed all of his tests, usually giving up on all of his homework since numbers and words all around the page made him dizzy, and he couldn't concentrate at all. And, it wasn't like he had many friends when he was in school, anyway. He was always a loner, having one friend at the most, and most people avoided him, hated him - for his scary looks, his tendency to rule over everything. 

Kageyama's never really gotten a good look at Hinata - his entire body, he means, and while that sounds objectively creepy... well, he guesses that it probably is. It's not that he's checking Hinata out or anything (or maybe he is). The fact that Hinata's cute has passed his mind multiple times before, and it doesn't matter much. He's cute, why wouldn't he be? With his small stature and his big eyes and his little pout - it's the dictionary definition of cute.

There's a problem, however, because the more he stares at Hinata, the more he finds him attractive. And usually, he would just shrug it off; he's found many guys attractive before, from movies and magazines. Maybe it's the fact that Hinata actually has a friendly relationship with him, the fact that he's actually getting closer to Hinata. He likes Hinata's petite frame, his dainty arms, his enthusiasm about anything and everything. 

He knows that Hinata isn't exactly happy with his height - he told him once that he would give anything in his life just to grow a few more inches, and Kageyama yelled at him and smacked him on the head for being so stupid. Hinata's fine as it is, and he couldn't imagine Hinata being any taller than he already is.

Kageyama's never wanted to kiss someone so badly before. He's kissed girls, sure, in his high school days, where he did have confessions made to him. He never found the girls attractive, but he accepted them all anyways, just to see what it would feel like, before breaking it off about a week later and tell them that he doesn't feel like it'd work out in the long run or something.

He's never felt like this before, and although he can't really place the feeling, he thinks it's something close to something you would feel when getting a new best friend. Or, you know, he's probably just lying to himself. 

Okay, fine. He's lying to himself. He likes Hinata, with his boisterous personality. Hinata, with his puffed cheeks and his fluffy hair. Hinata, with his adorable face. 

And Kageyama doesn't really know what to do, because he really is head over heels in love with this idiot, isn't he? It's the only thought wandering in his head now, that Kageyama Tobio likes Hinata Shouyou, and he shouldn't be this flustered but he is.

"Are you okay?" Shouyou asks worriedly, looking over at Kageyama. "You seem distracted."

"Oh," Tobio responds, not knowing what to say, because, yes, he  _is_ distracted. "I just didn't get much sleep last night. I stayed up all night watching tv shows." Hinata looks at him and shakes his head, almost as if he expected something so idiotic to be done by Kageyama.

 _I like you,_ Kageyama thinks.  _And I never thought I'd say this but-_

Hinata pauses, stops walking, and his face is confused and surprised and worried all at the same time, and Kageyama tilts his head in wonder at what happened, until he realizes:  _Oh shit. Did I say that out loud?_

"...as a friend," Tobio adds, his face flushing. Why couldn't he be the one that forgot everything that happened that night at the party; why did it have to be him who acutely remembered everything? "Um... what I meant is that... it's been a while since I've had a friend like you... and I really appreciate it. Putting up with me, I mean." Kageyama smiles, reminding himself to pat himself on the back later for such a convincing save.

Hinata's face drops slightly, and if Kageyama noticed, he didn't say anything about it. "Oh. You're welcome, I guess. I can't believe the great Kageyama Tobio is capable of something so cheesy," Hinata teases, sticking his tongue out at him.

"Fuck off," Kageyama retorts.

They stay completely silent again after that, and Kageyama doesn't notice Hinata's hand subconsciously reaching for his - even though their hands never really end up touching.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos and comments are very, very appreciated! please leave your feedback <3


	4. confessions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! this one's a bit shorter than my last chapters, and I'm been in a huge writing slump, but I got this done anyway, even with all the preparation for high school.  
> Anyways, enjoy!

Hinata came back to the cafe again after that day at the mall, and Kageyama couldn't be happier. "Ugh, it's you again," Tobio said, sighing as Hinata came in the door, his orange locks ruffling in the wind. 

"Did you miss me?" Shouyou teased, leaning over the counter. Kageyama growled, rolling his eyes - but they both knew, inside, that yes, he did miss him. Although, he would never truly admit it. He has dignity, after all.

"Well, it was nice having some actual peace and quiet, I gotta say," Tobio said smugly. Noya came over with the vanilla latte promptly, almost spilling the mug on Hinata's lap. "Although, with Noya around, it's debatable." 

Hinata had a large textbook in front of him, along with a laptop on his right hand side. "I told Oikawa-san that I had finals coming up, so I don't have to come in so early anymore," he explained, flipping through the pages quickly. "They're next week and I've barely studied! Not the mention the ginormous term paper I've got to turn in."

Kageyama bit his lip, remembering all the times he had finals in high school - well, he didn't know what to say to make Hinata feel less stressed, as he was never a good student anyway. He tried to study, he really did, but he just couldn't concentrate on anything. Maybe he was just stupid. "Just make sure you know all the material and I think you'll be fine," Tobio suggested, quickly handing another customer back his change. 

"It's not that simple, Bakageyama! The finals are in a  _week,_ and I have studied  _nothing_. I've got to cram, like, a whole year's of info into my brain here. Who knew that teaching kids was so complicated? And plus, I've only started on my paper," he groaned, his fingers gliding over the keyboard, typing rapidly. Kageyama looked over the counter, seeing papers scattered all around the table. It seemed that Hinata was already on his third page - wasn't that already incredibly long?

"Shouldn't you be finished already? Three pages is a lot of text to write on a single subject."

Hinata looked at him, rolling his eyes. "A bird-brain like you wouldn't understand. You can't just  _write_ about the topic. You have to analyze it, give your own opinions if its's not a just a fact piece, and yada yada, a bunch of other stuff. It's driving me crazy. I can't wait to get my degree and just be giving tests and homework instead of actually doing it."

"That," Kageyama started, running a hand through his hair. "Is why I'm not in college right now."

"Well, at least my life is gonna be better than yours after I finish college," Hinata retorted, sighing at his stack of papers. The light from the laptop illuminated his face, showing off his immaculate skin. Why did Tobio never notice before that Hinata had such good skin? "I... didn't mean it like that. No offense. Sorry."

Kageyama shrugged. "None taken." He couldn't find it in himself to be offended, anyway - especially when he knew it was probably true. He knew he couldn't survive forever on a cashier job, even if it did pay pretty high for what he did. He didn't know what to do for the future, and he didn't think he would have any plans. Maybe some miracle will come, and he'll be like, yes, that is  _exactly_ what I will do for the rest of my life. He eyes travel to Shouyou's and he immediately does a double take.

 _No, brain,_ he screams internally.  _That's not what I meant. I didn't mean that I wanted to do Hinata- ah, whatever._

They mostly did their own thing after that - with Hinata writing and typing furiously on his laptop, and Kageyama leaning casually against the brick wall, his legs crossed, his eyes lingering on Hinata's lips a little too long, and that's okay, right? 

As long as Shouyou doesn't notice him, Kageyama convinces himself that yes, it is.

 

Suga and Daichi come in about an hour after Hinata leaves, just to check up on the cafe a little bit. They do this every week, and Kageyama is usually happy to see them. Anxious that maybe they're going to find something that he did wrong, but mostly happy nonetheless.

"So, how's everything going?" Daichi asks, his elbow on Suga's shoulder. "I heard from Noya here that you've been... dating... that guy you kissed in that Spin the Bottle game that one time? And, well, I'd like to say that I support it... although I'm not sure why, but I feel like I've seen him before..."

Kageyama felt his face flush, although whether it was from Daichi's words or from the thought of him actually dating Hinata, he didn't know. "Daichi-san, I'm not dating Hinata. Seriously. Don't trust Noya."

"Oh?" Suga purred, a smug expression on his face. "But you have a thing for him, don't you?" 

"Suga-san!" Tobio exclaimed, his face now a deep scarlet. "I feel personally attacked right now," he joked, giving Suga a friendly flick on the shoulder. "First Noya, and now you too?"

"Come on, Kageyama. Everyone and their grandma can see that you like him. And," he added, "I think he likes you too!"

"YOU GUYS SHOULD FUCK!" Noya shouted from the back, earning a few glances from customers and a glare from Daichi, who instantly softed when Suga kissed him on the cheek lovingly. Kageyama smiled; he wants a relationship like theirs - innocent, sweet, having full trust in each other, basically never arguing - but he didn't know if his wish was ever going to be fulfilled. Although, he could hope, couldn't he?

"Noya, don't be so vulgar." Daichi ordered, sighing. "Anyways, Kageyama, all we're saying is that we've seen how happy you look when he's around. And I know you've barely known each other for a couple months, but anyone can see how much of a great fit you guys would be together. Think about it, will you?"

There was a collective silence around the group, Kageyama seeming to be in deep thought. "Well, I don't even like him, so-" Suga interrupted his statement by raising an eyebrow suspiciously, a knowing smirk plastered on his face. "Okay, okay, I like him. Just a little bit."

"Told ya," Suga said, his smile becoming soft and assuring. 

"But... what if Hinata doesn't like me back and our friendship is ruined? And I'll never see him again and I'll wake up at 3 am when I'm old and have like 40 cats thinking about that thing I did like 70 years ago and break out in a sweat? What if-"

"Calm down, Kageyama," Noya said, dusting off his hands and walking over towards them. "It's going to be fine.  _Trust me."_

Kageyama glared at him, leaning on the counter. "How do you know? You don't know anything more than we do."

Noya smirked, laughing maniacally right after. "Maybe I don't. Or maybe I do."

 

 

Kageyama spends the entire week stressing about whether he would tell Hinata or not. And even if he did, what would he even say? He was never a romantic person, and he was no good with words, either. Should he just write him a letter or something? 

No, of course not. What were they, high school girls? Plus, Kageyama's handwriting faintly resembled chicken scratch - it was illegible, even to Kageyama himself.

Anyway, didn't he technically confess already? That time at the mall? Where an "I like you" had accidentally slipped out of his mouth, and he very quickly (but cleverly, he might add) made something up so it didn't sound like he was actually confessing? That probably didn't count.

Maybe he could just tell him tomorrow, at the cafe. Or, you know, ask him if he was in a relationship first. Yeah, that was a better idea.

He spends the entire weekend planning his outfits, even though he never cared about something like that in his entire existence. He stands in front of the large mirror that stretches up to the ceiling, practicing his face expressions and lines. It's cheesy, he knows, and he never thought he'd spend this much time on a person. He reminds himself that there is a large chance that Hinata's going to reject him, and that all of his hard work preparing would be for nothing, but it doesn't seem to phase through his thick skull.

He goes to sleep earlier than he usually does, and he mentally facepalms for doing so much just to confess. He's a grown man, isn't he? Shouldn't things like this not bother him at all? Most people he knew would probably not even break a sweat about it - rather, they'd not worry about it at all until the time came, and break out some incredibly cheesy pick-up line or something and badabing badaboom, new partner achieved!

And as much as Tobio wanted himself to be like that as well, with unwavering confidence and an abundance of charm; it just wasn't him. 

He wakes up the next morning, frizzled and hazy. Kageyama reaches up to touch his hair, sighing, as he feels the strands and locks flowing everywhere. Now, Kageyama prides himself for his athletic ability (although, that was a long time ago in high school) and his impeccable hair... and not much else.

It took almost thirty minutes every day to make it all sleek and smooth like it usually looks, with gel and all, but sometimes he's much too lazy to do anything and leaves his hair a sloppy, unadulterated mess. Although, it was a pretty important day, at least for him, and he spends an extra fifteen minutes meticulously styling his hair.

Why was he trying so hard?

 

"Hey!" Hinata yelled across the cafe.  _How could someone be so energetic in the morning? It doesn't make any sense,_ Kageyama thinks, as he feels his hands sweat. Hinata's hair was messy - but, when was it not? However, it was much more frizzier today, and looked much softer than usual. It didn't help the matter. At all.

"Oi, dumbass," Kageyama greeted, absentmindedly reaching over to ruffle Hinata's hair. Noya brings him his mug, piping hot and decorated with latte cream on top, in the shape of a leaf. Hinata smiles at him, and Kageyama swears, he's one smile away from a panic attack.

"Hello to you too," Hinata chuckles. "Lately, I've been wanting to try out basketball. What do you think?"

"I think," Kageyama said, scoffing. "That you're much too short to play. Why don't you try something else, like swimming or ice skating or something?"

"Well, I can jump! And plus, I'm small, so the other players won't be able to catch me!" Hinata enthused, his hands waving around in the air. "And I'll go right past them and be like gwahh! And I'll make all the goals!"

"Sure you will," Tobio responds. "So, uh, I have something to tell you?"

Hinata laughs, leaning over the counter. "Why does it sound like you're asking me if you're gonna tell me something? If I didn't know any better, I would say that you seem nervous." 

"Shut up, dumbass," Tobio replies, flicking him on the forehead. "Who's a relationship?" Hinata tilted his head, confused. "I mean... are you in a relationship?"

Hinata shrugs. "That's a pretty weird question. But no, I'm not," he responds, biting his lip. Thank god the dumbass wasn't perspective. "Why did you ask me, though?" he asked. "You usually don't ask me anything about myself." Something flashed in Hinata's eyes - was it hurt?

"Just curious," Kageyama responded, pouring himself a cup of water. It was true, he didn't use much effort to get to know Hinata well, but he didn't think it was really necessary. After all, Hinata talked to him about almost everything that happened to him, anyway. He didn't know how to address the issue, so he just ignored it for now.  _Just like most problems in your life._

They both sit in silence for a while, with Kageyama serving customers in between. It's clear that both of them want to say something, and although Kageyama knows what he promised himself to say today, he just can't muster up the courage to actually say it.

"I like you," Kageyama finally blurts out, his face turning every shade of red. 

"Yeah, you told me," Hinata said, rolling his eyes. 

"No, that's not it," Kageyama quickly clarified, biting his lip.  _Of course, it's going wrong._ "I meant... I  _like_ like you. Just..." He blushes, his eyes looking down, glittering. "Well, when I first met you, you were sort of annoying. Not in a bad way, of course! And you came every single day and although I know you didn't come for me, It made my mornings better and I was less lonely, I guess. And I know you don't remember this, but we kissed that one day at Asahi's party and we were both drunk. I didn't think I would think much about it, but I did. And it was my first time, you know? Drinking alcohol. And kissing."

Hinata looks at him with awe and confusion, almost as if he didn't expect him to say such things. Kageyama continued anyway, because he was on a roll now, and if he didn't continue, he wasn't sure if he ever would. "I didn't think I would like kissing. Other people did it, and It's not like I had to do it. But I was drunk and stupid and I agreed to kiss you and when I got home, I became sober again and you know what else? I didn't regret it. One bit."

"And-" He was cut off suddenly, by Hinata slapping his hand into the side of his cheek. "Hey, what was that for? You could've just told me you weren't interested," Kageyama said, gingerly rubbing his cheek.

"You idiot," Hinata said, smiling brightly. "You have no idea how long I waited to hear those words. And you know what?" He asked, his eyes practically glowing.

"I didn't forget that night at Asahi's party," He beamed, giving Kageyama a surprise kiss on the cheek. If Kageyama wasn't blushing before, he was blushing now - and he was definitely already blushing before. "It was the night that I realized I liked you, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it! Kudos and comments are appreciated :))  
> Did you like the fluff in these few chapters? Well, don't feel comfortable yet. Heavy angst is about to come ;)


	5. mario kart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for not updating in a while... freshman year of high school just started for me, and there's been a lot of stuff I had to do... including a pile of homework on the first few days of school because that makes sense amirite
> 
> forever sorry for the incredibly short chapter. i just wanted to get something out, because it's going to be a week until I can really sit down and write again.

Kageyama found himself daydreaming, leaning on the side of the smooth, brick wall, with Hinata sitting in front of him - everything had been going so well for him recently. The confession went better than he could've ever hoped, ending with a kiss from Hinata. Although, that slightly confused Tobio - were they dating now? Did the kiss mean anything romantic? He said that he liked him too... what did that mean, exactly?

"Hey, Hinata?" Kageyama started, resting his head on his hands as he leaned over the counter. Shouyou stares up at him with questioning eyes, his face baring a soft but confident smile as he looks up from his studies. "Are... we dating?"

Hinata shrugs, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "If you want to," He said nonchalantly, flipping through pages and pages of notes. "Although, I thought we both made it clear the other day. I like you, and you like me, so why shouldn't we be?" Hinata seemed to sense the frustration and uncertainty in Kageyama's eyes, and his expression softened. "I'd like us to start dating... I'm assuming you're okay with it."

"Oh..." Kageyama was surprised that Hinata was so blunt. After all, every time he thought about them dating, he would always turn into a blubbering and blushing mess... although, that was mostly in the middle of the night, where no one could see him, anyway. "Well, okay, then," he responds, feeling his face grow red. "Of course." Noya smirks from the back, his phone out, and Kageyama doesn't waste any time slapping it out of his hand. Noya sends Tobio a smug look anyway, his head tilting to one side.

"Well, that's the end of that. You wanna come over to mine today?" Hinata asked, smiling at Kageyama with a mischievous smile. "We could-"

Tobio freaks out, not knowing exactly what Hinata means by coming over to his house... hell, he didn't even know where the guy lived, and they were technically dating already? He debated the fact that it wasn't exactly unusual for him to not know where he lived, and the thought gave him some sort of comfort and amenity.

"We could play Mario Kart 8! Noya lent me it," he enthused. "I mean... only if you want to, of course. I don't know if games are a sort of pastime you enjoy, but..." Hinata sputters when he says it, leaving a spiel of incoherent words.

"Of course! I've played that a million times before," He said, attempting a feeble smile. Kageyama had, respectfully, never played a platform game in his entire life. He never felt the need to, and although he knows he would regret it, a sense of competition rises in him. "I'll beat you, you know that?" And when Hinata instantaneously jumps into a defensive stance, Kageyama can't help but smile - even if it is a lopsided one, and could be considered anything but cute or visually appealing.

Kageyama softens internally just looking at the orange-haired boy - and even though the differences in their respective personalities and statures were painfully obvious, it was clear that the pair got along remarkably well. If Kageyama was a cloud, then Hinata was the bright, entrancing sun - balancing each other out.

They harmonize with each other perfectly; a pair that fills in the gaps of the other. Where Hinata was short, Kageyama was tall. Where Hinata was bubbly and peppy, Kageyama was more serious and pragmatic. Where Hinata fell behind, Kageyama excelled in - and vice versa.  _Boyfriend goals,_ Noya commented a couple of days ago.

Tobio's genuinely happy, something he hasn't been in such a long time. He loves having Hinata as his boyfriend, even though they just confirmed as being in a relationship a few minutes ago.  _Hinata Shouyou is my boyfriend..._ the thought tastes sweet on his lips, and he can't help but smile.

He's filled with this overwhelming desire to kiss him, to show affection. 

It's quiet in the cafe - and of course, there are respective conversations being held here and there, sounds of quiet mussitation traveling around the room. Tobio wonders if people would stare if he kissed Hinata right then and there - would they judge him? Would _Hinata_ judge him? He can't help but stare at Hinata; although, not one speck of malice were visible in his eyes. His eyes run over the line of his jaw, the purse of his lips whenever he's frustrated. Everything about Hinata is endearing to him, and the more he notices, the more he thinks about how perfect this boy is.

Although, perfect might not be the best word. He has his own flaws - he's too loud and peppy sometimes. There's light freckles over the curve of his shoulders, dots that run all the way down... to where, Kageyama doesn't know. It doesn't mean he's staring at them, or whatever. That would be creepy.

He pours himself another cup of coffee (made by Noya) while Hinata complains about the staggering amount of homework that university entails, and how it's probably never going to ever be needed, anyway. It's captivating, the way his lips tilt up when he talks and enthuses about random things, the way his cheeks puff up and his eyes crinkle at the ends, the way the dim lights of the cafe illuminates Shouyou's eyes, a dark brown muddy color that makes Kageyama feel like he's melting.

Hinata starts talking again, and Tobio wastes no time reaching over to ruffle his hair, although with less force this time. It's a loving pat, and Shouyou beams up at him, a soft and timid smile that would stay, ingrained, in Kageyama's memory forever.

 

 

Kageyama runs to the car as soon as Shouyou texts him his address, hurriedly putting on a black jacket as he starts the ignition. Going over to Hinata's place - it's nothing too special, but it feels like it's the world to Tobio. Shouldn't it be? 

_Dumbass #1: kageyamaa hurry over_

_Kageyama: i'm coming i'm coming you literally texted me two seconds ago_

_Dumbass #1: i know but i'm bored and lonely and kenma isn't even here_

Kageyama squints at his phone as he backs out of the driveway - Kenma? What was Kenma? Who....was Kenma?

_Kageyama: i'm literally just getting out of the driveway right now gosh be more patient_

Tobio's a hypocrite for saying that, when he's definitely the same amount of patience as Hinata does - close to nonexistent. He's just elated to finally be visiting Hinata for the first time, and although they see each other almost every day, it seems more special and  _intimate_ when he's visiting him directly.

He freaks out for a moment, because it's his first time going to someone's house in a long time and he isn't sure, exactly, what the proper etiquette in this situation. His brain frantically tries to tell itself that Hinata's probably not one for formalities and politesse, but he can't help but wonder if he should bring over a fruitcake or something, as a token of gratuity that Hinata's letting him come over. Kageyama, after almost 2 minutes of sitting in the car and being apprehensive, decides against it.

Maybe he's just overreacting; he's been to Suga's house, hasn't he? But when that happened, he didn't quite feel the tingle in his chest, the small tint of pink on his cheeks. He texts back that he's going to be there in about 10 minutes - it's actually not that far from his place, really.

He finally reaches Hinata's house. It's moderate-sized, with a white picket fence. _Classic,_ Kageyama thinks.  _But endearing nonetheless._

There's flowers that blossom around the sides of the front yard, a small path paved with stones that lead to the front door of his house. It's incredibly adorable, with a metal wind chime blowing in the almost imperceptible breeze. It's just so  _Hinata,_ and once the door opens, Shouyou is the first thing he sees. The boy is a bouncing ball of orange hair, a large smile present on his small lips with a tinge of tenderness to them.

"Kenma! Kageyama's here!" Hinata shouts as he runs back in. Tobio doesn't waste any time taking off his shoes so he can walk in the large living room, the wood flooring sleek and smooth beneath his feet. Another person sits beside Shouyou on the worn out couch - Kageyama wondered if the pejorative expression on his face was obvious. He didn't know there would be another person here, he thought it would only be him and Hinata. Nonetheless, he didn't say anything about it and simply plopped down on the couch next to them, the velvety material of the seat causing him to sink in. 

"Kageyama, this is Kenma, one of my high school friends." Hinata enthused, beaming. Kenma gave him a glance as a greeting, and Kageyama's eyes immediately narrowed in suspicion - why was someone so timid and closed off like Kenma friends with Hinata? There's a sudden pang of realization - ahh, so that's who Hinata was talking about. Although Kageyama was sure the boy had a benevolent nature, a simple glance as an acknowledgement simply seemed vulgar.  

"Kenma, this is Kageyama... I met him at a cafe downtown," Shouyou said, leaving out the obvious fact that they met only because Kageyama was the cashier. Or the fact that Kageyama was technically his official boyfriend.  _Although,_ Kageyama thought.  _It probably wasn't imperative to the situation now - why did it matter how they met, or what their immediate relationship was?_

"This guy is who you were swooning about?" Kenma said, his sharp gaze traveling along the curves of Kageyama's body; not necessarily checking him out, but rather judging, the boy's calculating gaze piercing through him. Kageyama shudders - and although Kenma has a small stature and hair that could be considered borderline cute - his somewhat intimidating nature wasn't to be discounted.

However, Kenma seemed to have visibly shrunk again after that, seeming like a lost little deer - although mostly unperturbed. "Kenma here is the best at video games! Seriously, he's good at everything! Even ones he hasn't played before! He's so cool, right Kageyama?"

Although Kageyama hadn't really gotten the chance to know Kenma yet, and he didn't know for sure whether he was genuinely good at games, but decided to let it slide, purely because of the sweet smile on Hinata's face. "Yeah, sure."

They actually start playing not long after that, and it was painfully obvious who had the upper hand. Kageyama, albeit not being taught the controls and the basics of the game (Hinata remembered that Tobio had already "played" the game, and thinking that reteaching him the controls would just be superfluous, decided against it), was actually starting to get the hang of it - well, as much as he could, anyway. Kenma had already beaten them both, twice - and they were only on the third round.

A bowl of chips teetered between Hinata and Kageyama's legs, and it would be physically impossible for Kageyama to reach over and grab the chips if he were in Kenma's position; although, Kenma seemed to have some sort of sixth sense, his thumbs moving rapidly as he grabbed a handful of chips, his gaze not even fixated on the screen.

Kageyama concludes that he's not going to beat any of them soon, and decides to just be relaxed, at least for now. His eyes unknowingly travels to Hinata's, the overhead lights reflecting off of his irises, the television screen creating a myriad of greens and blues in his eyes, the colors swirling around beautifully, and Kageyama, as if by some miracle, is now suddenly more awake, more aware.

Tobio doesn't miss how Shouyou slowly works his way closer to Kenma, in which the latter has little to no idea of it. Kageyama scowls - why was it even bothering him so much? It's palpable that the relationship between Hinata and Kenma is stronger than the one he has with Kageyama, so it's not especially peculiar that he feels more comfortable with the former.

 So why did Kageyama feel so uncomfortable with it, why did he feel a certain dullness in his chest whenever he sees them sitting close together, their shoulders mere centimeters away from touching? He didn't miss the knowing glances between them, the friendly glares and the smile blossoming on Kenma's thin lips, the edges of his mouth upturned.

It's not unforeseen, the ecstatic grin that creeps up onto Kageyama's face when Kenma announces, quietly, that he had best be going. Tobio's extremely thankful that his joy is unbeknownst to Hinata - he didn't want him to think that he had a sense of mild dislike towards his good childhood friend.

"We should do that more often," Hinata suddenly says, beaming up at Tobio. "We could invite Kenma again! He's great at like, every single game, I swear. So maybe he'll beat both of us every single time, but that's okay," Hinata continues, his hands making all sorts of outlandish gestures.

Kageyama scowls, a sinking feeling in his heart. He knows that he's being excessively jealous of someone he barely knew - was he being overprotective? "You know," he starts, his voice a seductive half-whisper as he leans down. "I think it'd be much better," he says, his face inches away from Shouyou's. "If it was only the two of us."

Hinata chuckles. "Are you, perhaps, jealous?" He asks, his tone that of a gentle purr. 

"Of course not," Tobio responded, his cheeks becoming a light pink. "Why would you think that?"

"Oh, no reason," Hinata laughs, rolling his eyes. "But, you know, you could've just told me." He stands up to attempt to place a chaste kiss on Kageyama's lips, but misses, albeit being on his tippy toes. Kageyama feels himself turning exponentially redder by the second, and gives a half-hearted attempt at a glare. None of them believe it. "He doesn't have to be here if he really bothers you. Although," he smiles, his eyes illuminated by the yellow light from the lamp in the near vicinity. "Kenma isn't my boyfriend. You are, you silly goose."

Kageyama scoffs, but both of them can clearly see that he's exorbitantly flustered by Hinata's statement. He bites his lip, gracefully picking up Hinata with both of his arms, his volleyball strength from years ago still not failing him - although, he guesses it might not've come into play as much as it would, as Hinata is remarkably short and light for his age - it's simply adorable, and it's ambrosial, holding him like this. He lays a celibate kiss on Hinata's forehead, and he lets go immediately. Hinata falls to the ground with a thump, his face turning every single shade of red.

They stay in silence after that, the only sound that could be heard the respective breaths of Hinata and Kageyama, soft and quiet in the reticence; their bodies, pressed together, both of them finding warmth in each other, cuddling on the couch. Both of them are too awkward to say anything, but they're comfortable, both content in each other's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we made it to the fifth chapter! woo! *blows party popper*  
> so, when I said that this was going to be only about 5 chapters... yeah, no. At this point, it's going to be closer to 10.
> 
> Angst will come either in the next chapter or the next one after that - it's whatever, really. If I decide to have it be the next one after that, the next chapter will probably just be a fluff filler.
> 
> Anyways, thank you for reading! Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated :)


	6. jackets in the cold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright, guys... have a complete fluff chapter :)  
> things are going to get down in the next chapter! I'm not going to say what, but just know that it won't be all chaste kisses and loving hugs. Basically, angst. In the next chapter.  
> So, enjoy this one while you can! :D
> 
> note: i am very sorry. this is so sorry oml. i just started freshman year and there's more homework than i was expecting. thank god there's a long weekend.

The chilling wind of winter blows against Kageyama's face as he waits in the park, a thick scarf wrapped around his neck. Tobio doesn't particularly like the cold - it makes his spine chill and his teeth chatter - it's just not enjoyable for him, even while wrapped in layers upon layers of soft clothing.

He spots a ball of orange hair in the distance, his mouth already turning from his natural frown to a neutral expression (and for Tobio, that means extremely happy), his eyes crinkling at the corners. Hinata gets closer and closer to him, jumping and bouncing around with his usual enthusiasm. Although, upon closer inspection, the dumbass wasn't even wearing a scarf, or even a jacket! He was visibly shivering in his outfit, which wasn't so unforeseen, as he showed up in nothing but a t-shirt, shorts, and a pair of worn out sneakers.

"Idiot," he mutters as he walks towards him, hiding his face in his scarf. He gets a few strange looks from passersby, who are only sporting a jacket and jeans - which is a vast contrast to Kageyama, who shows up in two large coats, a scarf the same height as him, and 3 pairs of pants (he's getting slightly suffocated by his garments, but decides that it's still better than freezing to death.)

"Why the hell did you wear  _that_ on a day like this? Did you even check the weather?" he hisses, a slightly teasing tone in his words. 

"We're playing volleyball today, right?" he asks, pouting and shivering. "I thought... that I should show up in my uniform instead."

Kageyama shakes his head, sighing with defeat.  _This dumbass..._ "Are you even an adult? Take care of yourself more. Gosh, do I have to do everything for you?" He hides a small smile as he takes off one of his coats (he decided that one was enough, and plus, Hinata looked like he needed it much more than he did) and gently placed it on Shouyou - who, immediately upon contact, blushes a deep red.

"T-thanks," he responded, his body curving in into a small ball. Kageyama chuckles as he watches Shouyou, his breath a visible puff of warm air against the strong wind around it. The last leaves of autumn were falling from the trees, dry and crusty as it lands on the ground, quickly kicked away by passerbys.

Kageyama feels almost numb, arms and legs too lax at the joints from his clothes being too tight. Hinata grins, a humongous smile that seems brighter than the sun itself, and perhaps he's biased, but truth is subjective anyway. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and in Kageyama's eyes, the epitome of beauty was definitely Hinata.

Although, in retrospect, he isn't exactly perfect, either. He laughs a little too loud, smiles a little too wide. He has dumb hair and dumb smiles, the way his face screws up when he's concentrating on something. Kageyama loves the perfect things about Hinata, but he loves his flaws even more. 

Tobio hasn't had a best friend in a very,  _very_ long time. He almost forgot how nice it was - hanging out together, having something to actually look forward to, someone who actually  _cares._ The sky is an ambiguous shade of grey, but he sees a spectrum, a myraid of colors in Hinata's eyes, swirling and turning. 

Kageyama's happy that they have such a high level of friendship and amicability - slamming his lips into Hinata's isn't the only thing he wants to do (although, it is pretty high up on the list.) Their relationship isn't driven by lust or eroticism, but rather a sense of platonic affection they both share.

He mentally curses himself for not making more friends when he was younger - maybe he could, if he was just a little nicer, just a little kinder, just a little  _better_. Although, he decided that this moment wasn't the time for self-doubt, but rather to focus on the bouncing ball of sunshine in front of him, and suddenly, he doesn't regret being lonely or hated in his early years, because he wouldn't change anything, as long as he has Shouyou now, in the wonderful present.

He almost laughs, because now all he can picture is a profile of a younger him, staring up at him with furrowed brows and clenched teeth.  _You're so selfish,_ he would say, hissing and crossing his arms.  _Care for your old self too, you know._ Kageyama swiftly tells the hallucination of his younger self to fuck off.

They do end up playing volleyball in the park, though. They walk over to the large court on the other side of the park, looking mostly abandoned and dissipated. He couldn't tell what, but the air had a sense of familiarity to it, albeit he had never played in it, ever. It was like he could almost envision the tapping of soles, the faint tapping of fingers, the sound of a ball, slammed into the ground with great force and strength. Maybe it's the fact that he played volleyball before - it was such a large part of his childhood - that he's driven by a sense of nostalgia as soon as he enters the court, the smell of rubber and sweat overwhelming his senses. And for most, they may have found the court too run-down or dilapidated, but for Kageyama, he's reminded of his past.

And perhaps that would be an atrocious thing as well, seeing how unpleasant his childhood really was. However, volleyball was something that he absolutely and doubtlessly enjoyed - it was something that kept him  _sane,_ making the long nights and the vicious snarls and glares bearable.

He turns back to Hinata, a gentle, genuine smile blossoming from his lips, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "Let's play."

 

Kageyama almost forgot how fun it was to be standing back on the court - and, of course, how much time could be wasted away on it. He doesn't notice the daylight slowly creeping away behind him, the sky getting darker and darker as the ball passed between them on the court. Hinata wasn't exactly the best at receives, and failed so often that Kageyama ended up just tossing to Hinata instead, in which, surprisingly, he was immensely good at. 

He doesn't notice how long they had been playing until the moon was high in the sky, bright and luminescent. His mind was too preoccupied and distrait - although, from volleyball or just generally being engrossed with  _Hinata_ , Kageyama didn't know.

And even though they stopped actually playing twenty minutes ago and resorting to sit on the wood bench beside the court instead, heaving and panting from the copious amount of exercising, Kageyama felt consummately content in the silence. He doesn't miss the silent rise and fall of his chest, or the way drops of sweat roll down his cheeks, effulgent in the moonlight.

If there ever was an Elysium on earth, this would be it. 

 

 

Dating Hinata wasn't exactly what he initially thought of at first. He's not saying it's not perfect; it is - but not much changed from when they were just friends. Granted, their relationship advanced astonishingly fast, and Asahi's surprise party was to blame. 

Although, he couldn't say that nothing changed at all. He loves the daily kisses, the chaste glances - the way he can't help but notice every single thing, every single flaw and perfection about Hinata. It's so disgustingly romantic, and if he was younger he probably would've brushed the thoughts away without a single glance back.

However, people change, and so did he. He couldn't imagine his younger self  _ever_ kissing anybody... hell, he couldn't imagine himself ever thinking romantically about anybody at all. 

But he concludes that his younger self was a substantial idiot, because as he stares at Hinata, standing in Kageyama's too big "Setter Soul" shirt, he doesn't know why he ever doubted himself being able to enjoy a relationship.

He can't help but notice the tiny details of his face, small, almost invisible freckles lining the top of his cheek, the way his eyes crinkle when he smiles up at him, like there's nothing in the world that's more perfect and paradisiacal. 

Kageyama's at Hinata's house again, and they're standing in the kitchen, with the blazing lights above them. They're attempting to make a cake - emphasis on attempting, and despite their best efforts, it's just not going as well as they planned. Although, did they really expect themselves to be brilliant at baking, anyway? Even though they're full, grown adults who live alone, they only have primitive knowledge of cooking and survive mostly on takeout and coffee.

"Kageyama, it says one and a half cups of sifted cake flour!" Hinata enthused, reading the instructions with an almost perplexed expression. "I don't have cake flour or sifted cake flour but I do have flour and a bunch of mugs," he suggested, pulling an orange and black striped mug out of his wooden cupboards. 

"This recipe is stupid," Tobio grunts, as he skillfully cuts open the flour packet (or, as skillfully as he could without getting flour everywhere) and pours it into the large mug. "It needs to be more specific. What cup are they even talking about? A wine glass? A mug? A plastic bottle? They can't just say  _cup_ and expect us to know which one they're talking about."

"Uh, yeah. Just use the mug." Hinata says, stopping a bit to glance at his kitchen. It's a complete mess, and there's sugar on the floor, vanilla extract poured all over the sink, and cracked eggs finding a home in Hinata's kitchen ceiling. He doesn't even know how it got there. The marble flooring's been stained with who-knows-what and Hinata explicitly sighs at the mess he made - the mess  _they_ made, and he doesn't even want to think about how long it's going to take to clean all of it up later.

Kageyama puts a couple teaspoons of baking powder into the mix, and as he has no idea what teaspoons are and was way too embarrassed to ask, he decides to just use a regular metal spoon, found in a suspiciously large glass jar. 

Hinata's kitchen was considerably cleaner than he expected, with most of the appliances sparkly clean - the tables seemed to be wiped to perfection, and all the decorations, although seemingly cluttered around the area, was meticulously placed to get a more homely feel. Well, of course, it wasn't like that now - but Kageyama unequivocally enjoyed asepsis, always keeping his own house tidy and neat.

They put the cake in the oven to bake about 35 minutes in the preheated oven, and stepped back, a relieved sigh escaping both their lips. "Well, we're finally done," Tobio yawned, leaning against the kitchen counter. "Whose idea was it for a cooking date, anyway?"

"It was  _your_ idea," Hinata responded with an almost joking tone. "I mean, I had fun. Being with you is always fun..." he stops suddenly, taking a moment to blush deeply and recompose himself. Kageyama's blushing too, now, and they both look away, undoubtedly embarrassed. 

The 35 minutes pass by extremely quick, and Hinata's already taken the cake out of the oven, placing it on the marble counters in preparation for the frosting. They have trouble with the pastry bags, hastily made with a Ziploc bag, and soon the cake is completely covered with pastel blue frosting. It's kind of messy, and the frosting is anything but smooth, but it's still the most proud they've both been in a while.

The carried the cake to the table steadily and carefully - almost as if it was a newborn baby. Although, they guessed, that the cake would be the closest the would get to having a newborn baby. anyway. "Don't drop it," Tobio muttered, and Hinata looks at him with fake disdain. 

"I know," Shouyou says, placing it on the glass table, immediately taking a few steps back to admire the handiwork. "It's not the best, but it should taste fine." 

They cut the cake with a fruit knife, and the cake is slightly harder than they expected. "Cheers?" Tobio asks, holding his plate with his cake up. It doesn't look like the most fluffy, or the most visually appealing cake they've ever seen, but it at least looks  _edible._ At least, more edible than other things they've attempted to make.

"Cheers, I guess," Hinata chuckles, bumping his place with Tobio's. "Allthough, you do know that 'cheers' is only used for alcohol, right?" He laughs, and they take the bite of the cake together.

They spit it out immediately. It's the worst cake they've ever had. The vanilla flavor was overpowering to an extreme, the sweetness was intense and unbearable - and, to top it off, the frosting tasted more salty than sweet - if that even makes sense. 

"Okay, okay. We followed all of the steps perfectly. Why doesn't it taste like actual cake?" Tobio seems genuinely confused, and so does Hinata beside him. "Maybe the recipe was just stupid," Hinata suggests, and Tobio nods in agreement. 

"Hey, Tobio," Hinata says, laughing. "You have some frosting on your cheek." He leans over and places a small kiss right in the corner of Tobio's mouth, his tongue extending out to lick the cream off. Tobio blushes - who wouldn't in this situation? "You know," Hinata begins. "We should make the best of our time now... it is a date, after all."

Kageyama blushes even more, and the memories of the rest of the day is filled with nothing but intertwined bodies and hushed breaths.


End file.
